Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh welcomes Princeton for home opener on Sunday
11/20/2010 3:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Coming off a split in Pittsburgh last weekend, the Lehigh women's basketball heads home for the first time when it hosts defending Ivy League Champion Princeton at 2 p.m. at Stabler Arena. Lehigh, who bounced back from an opening game loss at Duquesne with a convincing win at Robert Morris, will be looking to extend its home winning streak to 34.
The Mountain Hawks were led by seniors Erica Prosser and Courtney Dentler last weekend, who averaged 17.5 and 14.0 points per game, respectively. Dentler also grabbed 14 total rebounds and was recognized on the weekly Patriot League honor roll as an honorable mention recipient. The Mountain Hawks currently stand No. 18 in the first CollegeInsider.com in-season Mid-Major Top 25, while the Tigers are fourth.
The game marks the first of two straight days a Mountain Hawk basketball squad will host its respective Ivy League Champs in Stabler; the men welcome defending champion Cornell on Monday night.
With a win, Lehigh would improve to 8-4 all-time against Princeton at home, while also extending the nation's third longest home winning streak, which dates back to 2008. A win would improve the Mountain Hawks' overall record to 2-1 after three games for the third straight season and fourth time in the last five years.
Lehigh is only 9-14 all-time against Princeton, but has won five of its last six meetings at home. The Mountain Hawks are also 7-5 over their last 12, dating back to the 1998-99 season. Lehigh won convincingly two seasons ago, 64-43, while the Tigers returned the favor last year. The first-ever meeting came during the 1983-84 campaign, a 75-70 Princeton victory.
Like Lehigh, Princeton has emerged as not only a power within its league, but also a contender in the region, and nation. The Tigers finished last season with a stellar 26-3 record, including a perfect 7-0 in Ivy League play. They return all four of their leading scorers this season - Niveen Rasheed (15.4), Lauren Edwards (13.2), Addie Micir (12.3) and Devona Allgood (10.8). The Tigers are 1-1 so far in 2010-11, including a last-second loss at Rutgers on Thursday. They come in at No. 4 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
The Mountain Hawks have been tough to beat at home over the last two seasons. They were 17-0 in 2008-09 and followed that up by going 16-0 at Stabler Arena last year. Lehigh's 33-game home winning streak is the third-longest current streak in Division I, behind Connecticut and Stanford. Lehigh has not lost at home since a 59-43 setback against Lafayette on Feb. 23, 2008.
Dentler had a tremendous impact in the win over Robert Morris, being inserted into the starting lineup for her first start of the season. She responded by scoring a career-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while also grabbing seven rebounds for a second straight game. On Monday, she was later recognized by the Patriot League with honorable mention laurels on its weekly honor roll.
Sunday's win marked their 10th straight over a team from the Northeast Conference. Lehigh, who has squared off against each team in the conference at least once, went a perfect 4-0 against the NEC last season. The Mountain Hawks are now a perfect 3-0 all-time against the Colonials and 35-22 against the NEC overall. They face one other NEC squad - Wagner - in December.
The Mountain Hawks partake in their busiest stretch of the season, playing five games in seven days. They return to action on Tuesday at Villanova, before heading to UConn for the World Vision Challenge, hosted by the Huskies. There, they will face LSU, No. 1 UConn and Howard on consecutive days. Lehigh's next home game is Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 12 p.m. against Saint Joseph's. Tickets for all home games are now on sale and may be purchased on Lehighsports.com or by calling the ticket office at (610) 7LU-GAME.
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